The Ashes 2015: Jimmy Anderson the real villain behind ‘beer-gate’

The Ashes 2015: Jimmy Anderson the real villain behind ‘beer-gate’
1 HOUR AGO JULY 14, 2015 8:08PM

If Australia were to go into the England dressing rooms for a beer after a Test match, Jimmy Anderson would probably be the last bloke to talk to them.
That’s the irony of the England super villain’s bid to stir the pot ahead of the second Test at Lord’s.
Anderson sparked an outburst of conjecture on social media when he said he was unsure why Australian captain Michael Clarke had turned down Alastair Cook’s offer for the 22 players to share a couple of pints together in the Cardiff dressing rooms after the Ashes opener.

This kind of mingling hasn’t happened since the 2005 Ashes, and Ricky Ponting said being too friendly with the opposition is why Australia lost the series.


Allan Border put his faith in a similar hard-nosed approach back in 1989.
The Australians’ approach not only makes sense but it’s the norm in modern cricket.
However, it’s not the first time Anderson has tried to poke the bear this tour, and the series is only one match old.
Anderson has a reputation as one of the nastiest sledgers in Ashes history, even though his public persona is to try and put on the charm offensive.
Off the field he is not friendly with the Australians at all.
In the lead-up to the series he called for a sledging truce between the two sides, which to bemused Australian players was a classic case of pot kettle black.

When told that Anderson was claiming to be a born-again non sledger, Australian wicket keeper Brad Haddin didn’t hold back.
“Jimmy Anderson? he explained.
“He’s asking for peace? He should look in the mirror. England start half the sledging!”
Again it seems Anderson has had a shot at getting under the Australians’ skin.
Only time will tell whether it’s worked but the reality is no England player would feel more uncomfortable with Clarke and the Australians coming into his space than Anderson.

Back in the summer of 2006-07, Anderson came into the Australian rooms for a beer and according to his autobiography tried to bait Clarke by hitting him over the head with a pad.
When told to pull his head in, Australian players say Anderson promptly apologised and cowered out of the rooms.

“I’m polite to all of the Englishmen and will say g’day to anyone,” Clarke wrote in his last Ashes tour diary. “James Anderson is the one who prefers not to talk to me. I didn’t read his book, but from what I heard, he had a crack at me.
“That’s fine. He’s a fast bowler, and if I was his captain I’d want to see a bit of mongrel in him too.”
It seems the problem is more Andersons than the Australians.

Last year, a physical confrontation between Anderson and Indian Ravi Jadeja caused an international incident between the two boards and India almost left the tour.
Even Stuart Broad has admitted that the Australians not coming in for a post-match beer was nothing out of the ordinary.
“I think there was talk potentially of having a drink after each Test match but the modern way generally in the series I’ve always played in is you have a beer after the series,” Broad said.

If the Australians come into the England rooms for a beer at Lord’s, Anderson might try and slip out the back door.